Understanding the Arab-Israeli conflict is challenging because every historical account you read will be coloured by the author's own views.

History is about facts, but it always depends on what light and language those facts are presented in and of course which facts are ommitted.

Sandy Tolan has tried to give a balanced view of this infinitely complex topic in his book "The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East" and he has managed to walk the tightrope of presenting the two sides from their equally passioned points of view.

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It portrays the lives of two real families, one Arab and one Jewish, and their histories, which both at some point centre around a house in Ramla, Israel.

Switching between perspectives, the book gives a historical account of the birth of Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Often it reads like a history book with dates, facts and figures, but they all relate to the central characters and their quest for their home.

On both sides Tolan pulls no punches in describing the atrocities of suicide bombings or Israeli interrogation torture. All of this makes for tough reading.

But it is worthwhile reading because the central theme of the book is presenting the facts on the ground without judging one side over the other. The judgement is left to the reader.

The book doesn't lie about the fact that there is not simple and straightforward solution. Whatever happens, both sides must sacrifice something.

And as Dalia says "Another wrong won't make previous mistakes right." referring to the thousands of Arab refugees resulting from the 1948 war and the Arab idea as a solution that Jews should just go back to where they came from.

Both sides are entrenched in their views, both equally convinced in the validity of their standpoint. The question is at what point in time can they meet half way.

This book doesn't give any answers, but it encourages to think and maybe allows for hope.

Read it.